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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775478">piece me back together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>broken things [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Torture, Codependency, F/M, Flashbacks, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker has PTSD, Recovery, Separation Anxiety, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:13:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775478</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After four months in captivity, four months of experimentation and torture and abuse, Tony and Peter finally came home. </p><p>To Peter, it felt like he left part of himself in the snow back in Russia.</p><p>(OR: the recovery from what they went through in part 1 of this series.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>May Parker (Spider-Man) &amp; Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>broken things [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1674652</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>134</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello everyone! im sorry for the wait but, as those of you who read the update on the last fic will know, i’ve been struggling a lot mentally lately. i’ve been consumed by my eating disorder and it’s made it difficult for me to focus enough to write. because of this, i’m not asking for criticism for this fic, constructive or otherwise. i just don’t think i can handle it right now and what you read is truly the best i can do with how things are right now. thank you for understanding!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>Manhattan, NY, December 14, 2024</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Upon waking up, Peter first noticed the migraine. A persistent pounding in his head, thumping in time with the beat of his heart. It made him want to keep his eyes shut, and he would’ve, had it not been for the curiosity of the soft sheets on his body. </p><p> </p><p>When he noticed that, Peter startled awake with a gasp. The boy took in his surroundings- white walls, a big window overlooking the city, dimmed lights, and an IV digging into his arm. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> An IV.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Keep him still.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Hand me a scalpel.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Peter gasped, hand immediately flying over to the tubing and ripping it out of his skin, leaving a tiny dot of blood in its wake. Despite the way his body protested, Peter pushed himself up and out of the bed until his feet were on the floor. He had to run, he had to get out now, because the damn IV pump was beeping and someone was bound to find him-</p><p> </p><p>“Peter?”</p><p> </p><p>He <em> screamed. </em> He didn’t mean for it to come out, but when it did he couldn’t make it stop. Pleas of <em> stay the fuck away from me </em> and <em> where’s Tony </em>were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t find a way to articulate his words. So he screamed, and used every ounce of adrenaline within him to make it to a wall and climb his way up to the ceiling, hiding away in the far corner of the room.  He held his arms over his head, as if it could provide any semblance of protection. </p><p> </p><p>“Pete- Honey, please stop yelling-“</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t. At least, not right away. It took a couple of moments for the words to get through to him and when they did, the screams died down to a whimper. He pulled his arms away from his face, only enough to peek out at who was speaking. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> May. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Frozen, Peter stared at her, trying to piece together in his head just what was happening. </p><p> </p><p>“Please come down from there, baby,” May pleaded, and Peter did- though it was more of a fall than anything- and landed on his hands and knees on the linoleum floor. His aunt slowly approached him, holding out a hand as if he were a wild animal. “Pete? Can you look at me?”</p><p> </p><p>When he met her exhausted, honey brown eyes, the tears started to fall. They were silent, but there all the same, and he careened forward until his face was buried in the cloth of her t-shirt. They stayed there for a long time, kneeling on the cold tile, before it finally registered. He was <em> home.  </em></p><p> </p><p>But where was Tony?</p><p> </p><p>“Tony,” Peter croaked, pulling away from his aunt to look at her face. </p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Tony </em>,” he whispered again, disconcerted by the crowd of medical staff watching them from by the door. </p><p> </p><p>“He’s okay,” May said. “He’s sleeping down the hall. Do you want to go see him?”</p><p> </p><p>Peter nodded fervently, and May helped him to his feet. Well, at least she <em> tried, </em> but he’d only just woken up and had already used every ounce of strength he had, causing his knees to buckle underneath his own weight. Someone brought him a wheelchair and May helped him get settled, then began moving him down the hall. Peter wracked his brain, trying to remember anything about their escape, their rescue- <em> something.  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 329… 330… 331…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Where the hell did they put KRATOS? This was their only shot, their only hope-  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> And Peter couldn’t find it.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 342… 343… 344…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Peter’s head was spinning. He was weak, too weak to keep searching, and time was running out. He’d have to give up and hope that Tony found the suit.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Just as he turned to head back towards the exit the corridor was illuminated by a bright red light, a siren resounding throughout the building.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Shit, shit, shit- </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 365… 366… 367…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Peter started moving. He moved as quickly as his weak body could handle, but footsteps were approaching from behind him, and- </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 399… 400… 401…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> A body slammed against Peter’s back, tackling him to the ground. He screamed.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 410… 411… 412…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> This was it. He was going to die. If Bykov didn’t kill him, surely KRATOS would.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 416… 417… 418…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> At least Tony still had a chance, wherever he was.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 420… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> … </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> … </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “No,” Peter breathed in horror.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> But just when he thought they’d failed, he heard it.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 436… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> And the building blew.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Pete?”</p><p> </p><p>The boy looked up with a start, eyes landing on the dimly lit room in front of him. </p><p> </p><p>“We’re here,” May said softly, and Peter nodded in acknowledgement as she slowly wheeled him into the room. </p><p> </p><p>The first thing he noticed was Pepper, sitting vigil on a chair in the corner of the room. She was tapping away on a tablet, the sound of soft piano music drifting from that side of the room. She looked up when they came in and her eyes held the same fatigue that May’s did, but she smiled at him nonetheless. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, kid,” she said. “Come on in.”</p><p> </p><p>Tony looked worse than when Peter had last seen him. He was still emaciated, all harsh lines and pale skin, but now his body was laced with burns- most of them bandaged and out of sight, but the more minor ones free to see. </p><p> </p><p>He reached down to the wheels of his chair and tried to push himself forward, May taking over when it became apparent that he was too weak. She pushed him tight up to the edge of Tony’s bed and he reached out, grabbing a bandaged hand in his. </p><p> </p><p>“Tony,” he whispered, searching the man’s face for any sign that he’d been heard. <em> “Tony.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>“He’s okay,” May said softly, breath warm on the back of his ear. “He’s just sleeping. He’ll wake up soon, I promise.” </p><p> </p><p>He turned back to face Pepper, trying to gauge how bad his mentor’s injuries were by the look on her face, but was caught off guard when he saw her eyes looking downward towards his lap. Peter followed her gaze and saw what she was staring at: the webshooters. They were still there, scar tissue covering the bulky, cold metal, the nozzle still sticking out of his wrists. Peter didn’t want to say he’d gotten used to them, because he hadn’t. Not really. It was more of a subconscious refusal to acknowledge them anymore. </p><p> </p><p>But now that he was home…</p><p> </p><p>Peter held up his arms, looking to May. When her gaze became questioning, he held them out further, so that she could clearly see what was going on. He wanted to say <em> please, please take them out, I need them gone, </em>but he couldn’t seem to find the words to say. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” May said. “How about we go back to your room so we can talk to the doctor about that, yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>Peter nodded, looking back at Pepper who had stopped staring at his mutilated wrists (even though her eyes still held sadness and pity and <em> horror).  </em></p><p> </p><p>“Bye, Pete,” the woman said. “You can come and see him whenever you feel up to it, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Peter lifted a tentative hand and waved goodbye to her, then May was wheeling him back out and towards his room. The walk felt much shorter than the trek to Tony’s room, perhaps because his anxiety for the man’s wellbeing was staved off after seeing him alive. May helped him back into bed, and Peter didn’t resist. As soon as he felt the soft sheets, his eyes began to droop, but before he could fall asleep, Dr. Cho entered the room with a knock on the door. </p><p> </p><p>“How are you feeling, Peter?” </p><p> </p><p>The doctor’s voice was professional, but her eyes held a hint of the same worry and sadness that everyone else’s had. Peter had met Helen Cho on a multitude of occasions- mostly due to injuries he’d sustained as Spider-man, but also when Tony was recovering under her care from the final battle with Thanos. He liked her, and he could tell she liked him, too.</p><p> </p><p>Even so, all he did was shrug in response. </p><p> </p><p>“He wants to know about the… The implants,” May said, and Peter nodded. </p><p> </p><p>“I took some scans of them when you first got here,” the doctor said, tapping a few times on her tablet and pulling up the imaging. She pointed at the black and white picture. “The devices are entangled with major arteries in your arms, so I had to do some brainstorming on how the removal will work. I’ve got some ideas, but it’ll really depend on what I see when I get in there.”</p><p> </p><p>“And if it’s too dangerous to remove them?” May asked. </p><p> </p><p>Dr. Cho pursed her lips in distaste. “Then I remove as much as I possibly can without causing damage.” She turned to Peter, eyes holding an anger and intensity that he’d never seen in her before. “I won’t rest until I’ve exhausted every effort, Peter. Okay?” He nodded, any uncertainty dissipating at her promise. “Good. I’m ready to go on with the procedure as soon as possible. Is that okay with you?”</p><p> </p><p>Peter and May each nodded. </p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Dr. Cho decided. “Tomorrow morning, then. Just to let your body recover a bit more.”</p><p> </p><p>She left the room, and Peter and May were plunged into silence. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Later that day, just before the sun was supposed to set, Peter was still awake. He was staring out of his large window, overlooking the city lights. He could hear cars honking and doors opening and shutting and people laughing, without a care in the world. It was a rude reminder that while Peter and Tony were going through the worst months of their lives, the world spun on. He looked at his arms again, stomach once again turning at the sight of the metal embedded in his body. He ran his fingers over the skin stretched painfully across the webshooters. </p><p> </p><p>“Peter?”</p><p> </p><p>The boy looked away from his wrists at the sound of his girlfriend’s voice. MJ was sitting next to his bed, straight as a board, looking stiff and uncomfortable and tense. </p><p> </p><p>“Em,” he said, reaching out a hand. </p><p> </p><p>She took it, pressing a kiss to his palm. Her cheek was wet when his hand brushed against it. </p><p> </p><p>“C’mere,” Peter said, retracting his hand and scooting so that there was room for her on the bed.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t have to be told twice, springing up and climbing up to lay with him, head on his chest. Her cries were quiet, but her tears saturated Peter’s hospital gown. He held her as tightly as he could, burying his face in her hair. Before long they were both crying, a mess of tears and snot and sobs. Nothing else existed except them. </p><p> </p><p>“I love you,” MJ whispered. </p><p> </p><p>“I love you more,” Peter whispered back. </p><p> </p><p>The effects of the medicine were still lingering, and Peter could feel his eyes pulling shut. Eyes still wet with tears, they fell asleep against each other. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>For the first time in months, Peter dreamed. </p><p> </p><p>(He wished he hadn’t.)</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Tomorrow came too quickly, nurses waking him for surgery long before the sun rose, and before he knew it, Peter was being prepped to go under. MJ kept a grip on his hand the whole time, but the whole process was still <em> grueling </em>on Peter’s brain, the sounds and smells of the Medbay bringing back memories of- of-</p><p> </p><p>A sob erupted from Peter’s throat, and every head in the room turned his way. Everything felt wrong- his body didn’t feel like it was his anymore, like it belonged to everyone else to cut into and do whatever they wanted. </p><p> </p><p>“Honey,” May said softly, abandoning the nurse she’d been speaking to and moving towards the head of his bed. “What is it? What’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>Peter opened his mouth to reply, but his throat felt tight and he couldn’t summon his voice forward for a moment, until he let out a strangled “I- I d- do- don’t-“</p><p> </p><p>He cut himself off with another sob, and May pulled him forward until he was cuddled against her chest, MJ scooting closer and carding a hand through his hair. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay,” his girlfriend whispered. “Do you want to back out? It’s all up to you. You don’t have to do this.”</p><p> </p><p>Peter shook his head. He didn’t want to back out, he was just- <em> scared. </em>Terrified. He hated the feeling of being sedated. Of being manipulated. Of waking up from forced unconsciousness with that too familiar post-surgical feeling. </p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” May replied, rocking him a little bit while he calmed down. She turned to the medical staff. “Do you think you could sedate him before going into the OR? Just to keep him calm.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t see why not,” a nurse replied.</p><p> </p><p>Peter held onto his aunt tighter, trying to convey his gratitude with his body. She squeezed him back, and Peter knew she understood. Within minutes, Dr. Cho was back in the room with a syringe of his super-sedative in hand. Peter <em> knew </em>that he was safe, he was sure of it, but he couldn’t help the foreboding that was situated in his stomach at the sight. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you ready, Peter?”</p><p> </p><p>Eyes fixed on the ceiling in an attempt to stave off the panic, the boy nodded. They told him to count backwards from ten, but the only thing his mind could conjure was pure fear as he gave into the familiar feeling of being forced into sleep. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The surgery didn’t take long. For Peter, it was the duration of a single blink, but when he looked at the clock upon waking he realized that it had been just over three hours. The first thing he noticed when he awoke wasn’t the headache he had, or the pain from the incisions. It was the warmth. The lack of cold metal inside him. The lightness of his arms without the modifications, the fact that they weren’t bulky under their bandages anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next several hours were blurred together by the haze of medicine. All he did was sleep, hugging MJ as tightly as he could without tearing his stitches, right up until she had to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna be back soon,” she said while she was putting her shoes back on, and Peter understood, he really did, but watching her walk away sent a stab of pain through the middle of his chest, and he ran a finger down the surgical scar on his sternum. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” May said, causing Peter to break his staring contest with the now empty doorway. “Do you want to go see Tony again? He woke up last night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pause. Tony was awake last night and </span>
  <em>
    <span>no one told him? </span>
  </em>
  <span>No one thought to wake him up? His anger must’ve shown on his face because he saw May wither just a little bit under his gaze. Peter pushed the expression away and nodded. Once he’d pushed himself to the edge of his bed, May helped him stand. Peter’s knees immediately buckled and his vision was swept with blackness for a moment, only clearing once he was sitting in his wheelchair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You okay, hon?” He responded with a terse nod, but May didn’t seem to believe him. “No. You need to eat. Once you’ve seen Tony I’m getting you food.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter didn’t protest. His stomach had long since stopped rumbling and twisting, instead lying dormant. It almost scared him, how he’d been able to move past hunger, as if food wasn’t a basic human need, but any fear he’d had inside him was wiped away at the prospect of seeing Tony. The mix of fatigue and excitement swirled so violently that it kept Peter from forming any coherent thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, he was outside Tony’s room. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not ready, I’m not ready, he’s gonna be mad that I messed up the plan- </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “Just happy to see you,” Peter heard, and that was Tony’s voice- </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Peter never thought that hearing his mentor’s voice could make him this happy-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>May knocked on the doorframe as she wheeled him inside. Once Tony was in view- awake, eyes open, starting to sit up- a thick lump formed in Peter’s throat. The man smiled, missing molars just barely visible in the corners of his mouth, and the boy attempted to swallow his emotion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, kid,” Tony said, voice holding a lightness Peter hadn’t heard in months. He handed Morgan off to Pepper and turned back to him as May wheeled him closer. “Whatever happened to seven minutes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The question was asked without malice or anger or </span>
  <em>
    <span>disappointment</span>
  </em>
  <span> even, and the lightness in Peter’s chest bubbled up into a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Got held up,” he whispered, and Tony’s smile grew even wider, even though they were hurt, and Peter messed up the plan, and they were both surely traumatized. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony scooted over on his bed, patting the spot by his left hip. Peter immediately moved to jump up onto the bed, but, once again, his vision was overtaken with blackness and his head throbbed in time with his rapid heartbeat. He felt himself blanch and begin to careen sideways, legs giving out from underneath him, and firm hands hooked under his armpits and held him upright until the dizziness passed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-eter? Pete? You with us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Allowing his full weight to rest in May’s and Pepper’s hands, he nodded. Tony was leaned forward in his bed, hand outstretched in his direction. May’s hands lifted him up, helping him climb onto the bed where he leaned into Tony’s embrace, resting his face against his collarbone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He needs to eat,” May said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They </span>
  <em>
    <span>both </span>
  </em>
  <span>need to eat,” Pepper replied. “Morgan and I will go get something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go, too,” May decided. “Lord knows you’ll need the extra hands if you want to get enough food for Peter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy smiled sheepishly, face still hidden against Tony’s neck as he heard their footsteps retreat. There was a long moment of silence, during which they just held each other close, before Tony spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How, uhm… How’re you holding up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did a good job, y’know,” Tony said. “If it weren’t for you we’d probably still be there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not true,” Peter argued. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony pulled away a little bit so that he could look at Peter’s face. “What? You’re the one who thought of KRATOS.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was too scared of… of </span>
  <em>
    <span>him,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Peter replied. “Wouldn’t have done anything without you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The teen watched his mentor’s eyes moisten with tears, his adam’s apple bobbing, then allowed himself to be pulled into another hug. He allowed his eyes to close, not remembering the last time he’d felt this warm and safe. Finally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was home. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The feeling of safety didn’t last long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It left by the end of the day. Maybe the high of finally seeing his family again masked the symptoms of the trauma he’d endured, because once he got used to being home it seemed like everything was happening at once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter’s stomach was apparently so used to being starved that soon after he wolfed down eggs and toast and fruit, it all came back up again. When it did, he was rendered useless, hunched over a bucket he was heaving into while tears saturated his cheeks. May was brushing his too-long bangs out of his face and MJ was rubbing his back while Tony looked on from his bed, concerned. They’d both been moved into a bigger room so that they could be together, and while Peter was thankful, he hated making his mentor worry more than he should. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He needs to work up to healthy portion sizes,” Dr. Cho explained to May once the vomiting </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>ceased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not your fault,” the doctor replied. “Just something to remember, that’s all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hours later, Peter was offered food again. It was just a cup of jello, but his throat was still sore from vomiting and his stomach flipped at the sight of the food. Reluctantly, he had some, feeding spoonfuls to MJ as he ate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s supposed to be for you,” his girlfriend complained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter smiled. “Yet you still accepted the spoon when I gave it to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>MJ giggled. “Whatever. Dork. Just eat your damn jello.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Recovery was </span>
  <em>
    <span>slow. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Painfully slow. They re-broke Tony’s nose to set it properly, and they spent what felt like hours removing dead, burnt skin from both of them so healthy skin could grow again. Peter ended up with nerve damage in his hands from the implants and had to do physical therapy every day (and now he knows how Tony felt with his arm, because this was beyond frustrating). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There came a day when Peter was strong enough to take a shower on his own. He hadn’t showered at all since coming home, only using wipes to clean off his body and dry shampoo in his freshly cut hair. Once he was sure he wouldn’t get too tired or pass out, he decided to shower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Needless to say, it felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking amazing. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The hot water saturating his hair, the citrusy scented soap cleaning his body. He wanted to spend all night standing there, being cleaned, but then he heard it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Tony, he’s just in the bathroom-“</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“But- But-“ Ragged breathing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Honey, it’s okay. Just breathe. He’ll be out in a few minutes.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter hurriedly rinsed the shampoo from his hair, turning the water off and rushing to get dressed with shaking hands. As soon as he slipped on some sweatpants and a t-shirt, Peter flung the door open and emerged from the bathroom, panting. May and Pepper were sitting with Tony, whose hands were obscuring his face at first, and they all looked up when he walked in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, honey,” May said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is Tony okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man in question cleared his throat. “I’m fine, kid.” He stuck out a hand. “C’mere.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter shuffled towards the bed, May making room for him to take her spot and wrap his arms around Tony. He could hear his mentor’s breath stuttering, obviously still trying to stave off panic, but he calmed within minutes. Tony tried to play it off afterwards, tried not to let his mentee know that he was struggling, but Peter knew better. It was obvious in the way Tony requested for them to room together, in the way that he seemed to need touch from </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone </span>
  </em>
  <span>every hour of every day. Peter felt the same, to an extent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even so, it was obvious that his mentor was taking this much harder. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Christmas was… strange, to say the least. Peter hadn’t been able to buy anyone a gift, and he hadn’t requested any, either. The Medbay room was decorated with lights and tinsel and ornaments, pictures drawn in crayon hanging from the walls, courtesy of Morgan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On Christmas Eve, May brought cookies. They were crispy and burnt around the edges, but Peter still ate them happily (yes, multiple, because he was finally starting to gain back all the weight he’d lost in confinement and his stomach could finally tolerate larger meals). That night, they all sat around and drank hot cocoa and watched shitty Hallmark movies until Peter fell asleep, the room only illuminated by the TV and the lights strung about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Christmas morning began abruptly, Peter and Tony being yanked out of sleep by Morgan running into the room at full speed, screaming “Merry Christmas!” as she flung herself onto her father’s bed. The racket woke Peter as well, and he would’ve been put off by it, but the first thing he laid eyes on was the sight of Tony grinning ear to ear, the snowy city peeking through the window behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, sweetie,” May said, emerging from the doorway with a wide smile on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter couldn’t help but grin tiredly back at her. “Hey.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were thinking,” Pepper began from where she sat on Tony’s bed. “That you guys could come to the penthouse today. Y’know, get a change of scenery.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And so you can have Christmas dinner at an actual table,” May said with a chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That- That sounds great,” Peter exclaimed, turning to look at Tony. “Right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course,” Tony replied. “What time is dinner?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Five,” Pepper replied. “Just let us know if either of you doesn’t feel up to it, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony and Peter each nodded in affirmation. Before they knew it, it was time to get dressed and head upstairs to the penthouse. May and Pepper brought clothes down for them to change into, but when Peter tried to pull on the jeans, they didn’t stay on his hips. He’d gained back a substantial amount of weight already, but he was still skinny, far too skinny for his height and age. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tony,” Peter called from his side of the curtain, a lump situating itself in his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up, bud?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a belt?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh- No, not here, but FRIDAY can tell Pepper to grab you one. How’s that sound?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter bit his lip to keep his voice from wavering. “Good. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s no problem. FRI?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes boss,” the AI responded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Within minutes, Pepper had brought Peter a brown leather belt, cracking the door open and poking her hand through. Thanking her quietly, Peter began threading it through his belt loops, fastening it through the second-innermost hole. His pants still bunched uncomfortably with excess fabric, but it would have to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Tony began their trek to the penthouse, both getting considerably winded along the way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guess we should’ve taken some wheelchairs, huh,” Tony pointed out once they were in the elevator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please,” Peter chided playfully. “I’m fine. You’re just an old man. Need a cane, grandpa?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We told you boys to </span>
  <em>
    <span>wait for us,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>came a new voice, and the elevator doors opened to reveal Pepper and May standing with their hands on their hips and their eyebrows raised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony and Peter shared a wary glance, each uttering an apology as they were ushered into the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We just couldn’t wait,” Tony said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh,” Pepper replied. “I’m sure. Come sit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter was led to a chair by the head of the table, Tony sitting next to him at the end. The table was large, and it dawned on Peter that it might be more than just family attending the meal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well look who it is,” a voice from behind them said, and Peter turned around to find none other than Sam Wilson standing by the door, smile on his face. Rhodey stood next to him and Bucky was behind them. “Thought you’d never come outta the Medbay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony’s smile seemed forced, but it was present nonetheless when he stood up and held out a hand to Sam. “Good to see you, Wilson.” He nodded at Bucky. “Barnes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rhodey stepped forward and went straight in for a hug. “Good to see you up and about,” he said, turning to Peter. “How’re ya doing, kid?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“F-Fine,” Peter said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bruce and Thor can’t make it, but they send their well wishes,” Rhodey said. “Nat’s working at the shelter today. She said she’d try to come but…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded. Everyone knew how invested Natasha was in her work with the homeless. She always tried her best to make sure no one fell through the cracks, something she poured her heart and soul into after everything with Thanos was finished. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Understandable,” Tony replied. “What about Wanda?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She isn’t feeling great,” Sam informed. “Didn’t want to get you guys sick while you’re recovering.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Which means that Sam is running leftovers by her apartment,” Pepper yelled from the kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sam chuckled. “I guess that means I’ll be running leftovers by her apartment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pepper came out of the kitchen with her hands full, carrying trays of roast beef and potatoes and rolls and more. Peter sat up a little straighter as the food was passed around and chatter filled the dining room. The boy was silent, staring at his friends- his </span>
  <em>
    <span>family- </span>
  </em>
  <span>as they smiled and laughed and ate. God, this was amazing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pete?” May said softly, elbowing him gently. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was only then that the boy realized that there were tears in his eyes, and falling down his cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” he exclaimed, wiping away some of the tears. “Uh… Um…” A sob escaped his throat and everyone turned to face him, their faces falling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honey, what is it?” May wrapped an arm around his shaking shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I, uh…” He lowered his voice. “I didn’t think… I’d be home for this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone was silent, May’s hand squeezing his shoulder. Sam cleared his throat from across the table. “We’re glad you are, kid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After another moment, Peter wiped away the last of his tears, forcing a quick recovery. “Whew,” he exclaimed. “That was… Sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don't worry about it, honey,” Pepper said, scooping some potatoes onto Morgan’s plate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Conversation quickly resumed, almost as if Peter had never burst into tears in front of them, save for the smiles that were sent his way intermittently from everyone around the table. It wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal, </span>
  </em>
  <span>per se, more like a band-aid covering just how broken things were. But maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t be broken forever. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i finished writing just now and decided to post this. this will have one more chapter and then a short epilogue to serve as a conclusion. i hope you guys have enjoyed this so far!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In early January, Peter and Tony were halfway discharged from medical care- meaning that they didn’t need to stay in the medbay, but they were to live a few floors up in the penthouse for the time being. May and Pepper gathered their things and helped them bring everything upstairs. As soon as the elevator door opened, their eyes were met with balloons and a banner hanging from the ceiling that read “welcome home!” in crayon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daddy! Petey!” Morgan shouted their names from where she sat on the couch, climbing off of Rhodey’s lap to wrap her arms around her father’s thigh. “Welcome home!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, munchkin,” Tony cooed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get you guys situated in your rooms,” Pepper said, leading them inside and down a hallway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rooms,” Tony repeated, not quite a question but inquisitive enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>rooms,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Pepper reiterated. She opened the first door they came to. “This is Peter’s room. Remember? The one you helped decorate?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes, </span>
  </em>
  <span>honey, I remember,” Tony said, irritation lacing his tone. “I just… I dunno, I didn’t think he’d want to sleep alone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pepper’s eyes softened, and she put down the box she was carrying, moving towards her husband and grabbing his hand. “May, how about you get Peter situated and Tony and I talk. Okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They moved down the hallway and out of sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, honey,” May summoned. “Let’s put your stuff away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter entered the room with her and looked around. It looked the same as how he left it, save for a light coating of dust on some of the surfaces. There were still clothes strewn about the floor, a few stray Legos, and his summer reading assignment laying on his desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are you gonna sleep,” Peter asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>May looked up from the shirt she was folding. “Next door. I’ve been staying here for a while. When you… When you went missing, Pepper invited me to stay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Peter responded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that okay?” May finished folding the clothes and closed the drawer. “If you want, you could stay in my room. The bed is big enough.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had to be fine, because Peter wasn’t a child. He was seventeen years old and he should’ve been able to sleep in a room by himself. Even if he hadn’t for the past several months. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter tried not to eavesdrop, but he could still hear Tony and Pepper talking down the hall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He needs me, Pep.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Are you sure it’s not you needing him?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No! I- you don’t understand. He’s just a kid-“</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A kid who needs the chance to heal. He can’t do that if you keep smothering him, Tony.” There’s a pause. “I miss you. I miss sleeping next to my husband every night. Ever since you got back you haven’t really been </span>
  </em>
  <span>here.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>A sniff. “Please come home, honey.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pete? Are you gonna help put stuff away?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh- yeah,” he said, tuning out Tony and Pepper’s conversation. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night, Peter climbed into his bed and pulled the blankets up to his chin. This mattress was even softer than the one in the medbay, the blanket even warmer. It was strange, feeling so comfortable. Unsettling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What was even more unsettling was the lack of other life in the room. For the past five months, there was constant noise- other people’s heartbeats, their breathing- always </span>
  <em>
    <span>something. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Peter’s room at the tower had been purposefully made soundproof so that he couldn’t hear the sounds of the city below, but this also meant that he couldn’t hear Tony’s breathing or May’s heartbeat. With the lack of sound, Peter’s brain was allowed to wander.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The roar of the furnace. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The crack of a whip. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The incessant chatter of doctors poking and prodding and slicing and-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, Peter found himself standing and moving towards the door. Breathing ragged, he went up to May’s door and cracked it open, peering inside. She was sleeping soundly, breathing deep and steady. She looked so peaceful. And Peter knew that she hadn’t been sleeping as much as she needed to lately. He didn’t want to wake her up, causing her to lose more sleep than she already had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pete?” The boy jumped, turning around at the whisper to find Tony standing a few feet down the hall. “What are you doing up? Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could ask you the same thing,” the teen whispered, quietly shutting May’s door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony chuckled awkwardly, bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his neck. “Couldn’t sleep. Wanted to check on you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of quiet, during which Peter looked down the hall into the living room. “Do you… D’you wanna watch a movie or something? I- I don’t think I can sleep. Not right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smiling, Tony put an arm around Peter’s shoulders, leading him down the hall. They turned on some nature documentary about penguins and sat on the couch, putting up the footrests and pulling a blanket over their laps. They fell asleep within minutes, legs tangled together and arms around each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>By February, Peter had made great strides in his recovery. He was back in the gym, building up the muscle he’d lost, and was attending counseling sessions twice a week. Though the nightmares were still a constant, he was finally able to get an adequate amount of sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“May,” Peter called one day, walking into her room while she was brushing her hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up, honey?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- uh…” He stuttered a moment. “I was wondering if- if maybe Ned and MJ could come over? I’ve been feeling better lately, and-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Pete,” his aunt said, moving forward and pushing a strand of hair out of his face. “I think it’d be good for you. Why don’t you ask Happy to pick them up after school today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The teen grinned. “Okay!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, when he went to ask Happy for the favor, the man feigned annoyance while agreeing (the guard let himself smile when he thought Peter wasn’t looking, but the kid saw nonetheless). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter was anxious to see his friends, specifically Ned. He’d seen MJ when he first got back, before schoolwork and decathlon swallowed her whole, taking up every last second of her time. Ned, on the other hand, Peter hadn’t seen since the week before he went missing. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his friend. Peter just didn’t want their friendship to be tainted by what had happened, as every other relationship he had seemed to have been. May was more attentive now. MJ treated him like glass. Tony was clingy. Everyone else just seemed anxious around him. He wanted to wait until he was as recovered as possible before seeing Ned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the time came for Happy to be heading over with Peter’s friends, the boy took to pacing across the penthouse, anxiously wringing his hands. He’d purposefully worn long sleeves to cover up the incision scars on his forearms, and made sure his hair was styled as he normally did </span>
  <em>
    <span>before. </span>
  </em>
  <span>When the elevator doors opened, Peter whirled around to look inside. Happy, Ned, and MJ were standing inside, unmoving. Peter made eye contact with his best friend, who continued to stand frozen until MJ grasped his arm, pulling him out of the elevator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silently, Ned and Peter slowly approached each other. The shorter boy’s eyes held tears on his lashes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Peter said, hands fidgeting with the ends of his sleeves. Ned didn’t respond, so he continued. “Uh- did you- did you work on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Falcon </span>
  </em>
  <span>set at all?” Still, nothing. “I- I won’t be mad if you did-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, Ned threw himself forward so his arms were wrapping around Peter. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>No, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I didn’t work on the- I wouldn’t do it without- </span>
  <em>
    <span>god, Peter!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ned dissolved into sobs and Peter held onto him, his own tears beginning to spill over as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Peter cried. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut </span>
  <em>
    <span>up,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ned replied tearfully. “Don’t be sorry. You can’t be sorry.” He pulled away. “It’s not your fault. Please don’t think it’s your fault.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter pulled him into another embrace, looking over his friend's shoulder towards his girlfriend. MJ stepped forward and joined in the hug, warmth spreading through Peter at the familiarity of it all. After a moment, they pulled away once more and Peter motioned to the enormous TV. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you guys wanna watch something? I can make some popcorn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Ned agreed, wiping a tear away on his sleeve. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Empire Strikes Back?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter smiled. “You heard him, FRI.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Before long, winter turned into spring. Peter started catching up on classes online and Tony began catching up on work from home. They’d achieved a new normal, one filled with knowing glances and quiet reassurances. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On a quiet March afternoon, Peter, Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, and May were sat around the dinner table, Morgan being at a friends house that day, when May cleared her throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Peter,” She began hesitantly. “I’ve been meaning to ask you- how would you feel about… Maybe going home? Back to Queens, I mean.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter put down his fork, momentarily dumbfounded. How </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>he feel about going home? It was a nice thought, but Peter hadn’t even been outside of the tower since he got back. Logically he knew he’d have to go out sometime, but he’d been hoping to put it off as long as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What- what d’you mean,” Tony asked, voice frantic. “Do you guys not like it here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- Tony, it’s not like that,” May stuttered. “Just… My job is in Queens. I want to get back to work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can work for me,” Tony decided. “It’s no problem.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can’t take your charity forever,” May argued. “Plus, Peter’s school is in Queens. His friends are there. I think it would be good for us to try and get back to-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The way things were before?” Tony finished for her. “There </span>
  <em>
    <span>is no </span>
  </em>
  <span>getting back to that. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re both a little different now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tones,” Rhodey started. “Calm down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need to calm down,” the man replied. “I don’t. You just- You can’t just take the kid away from where he feels safe- where he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>safe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Peter?” Pepper spoke up. “What do you think?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All heads turned to look at him, and Peter looked up from his plate. “I- uh…” He paused. “I think that- that we could try it.” Tony moved to speak, but Peter cut him off. “I miss Queens. And I can’t stay here forever. And I think… I think I’m ready.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone was silent for a moment, all smiling except for Tony. Peter understood why. For months, they were kept together, sleeping next to each other for warmth, working together, and whenever they were pulled apart it was only for torture or experimentation. Even months later, Peter still associated Tony’s absence with fear, with pain, but he was trying to get better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So when Tony quietly excused himself from the table, standing abruptly and retreating down the hall, Peter’s stomach sank and he looked to Pepper for reassurance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s scared,” the woman said. “He doesn’t like not being in control. When you’re here, he can keep an eye on you. But when you’re not…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She trailed off, a sigh escaping her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’ll get through it,” Rhodey said. “You both will.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later on, when Peter was helping clear the table, Tony still hadn’t come back. Once he’d cleared the last plate, he looked up to the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“FRIDAY, where’s Tony right now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Boss is in the lab,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>the AI responded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Would you like me to let him know you’re looking for him?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Peter replied. “Is it okay if I go down there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He has not specified otherwise.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” Peter mumbled to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter boarded the elevator and felt the familiar smooth descent to the lab, the doors opening with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>woosh</span>
  </em>
  <span> to reveal Tony hunched over a workbench, Led Zeppelin booming through the speakers. Tony didn’t look up from the- was that an espresso machine? Peter looked to his left, where the machine usually sat, and sure enough it was missing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy cleared his throat. “D’you need any help with that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony started, looking up at him, nodding while FRIDAY turned down the music. Peter approached, grabbing a pair of protective gloves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you trying to do, anyway,” Peter asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tried to get a drink and it was all… fucky.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter chuckled. “Fucky? Fucky how?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just… Not right. Hand me that screwdriver?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The teen grabbed the instrument and handed it to his mentor, observing what he was doing. The espresso machine was completely dismantled, screws and parts lying all over the bench. The more Peter looked at it, the more he suspected that there wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>anything wrong with it, but that Tony needed something to keep his hands busy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to go back to Queens, you know,” Tony said, not meeting Peter’s eyes. “It would be perfectly fine if you stayed here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter sighed. “No, it wouldn’t.” Tony put down the screwdriver and turned to face him. “I… I need to be able to leave the tower. You know, go to college, take MJ on dates… Maybe, eventually, I can patrol again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony started at him, expression unreadable. He didn’t speak, but his eyes said everything he didn’t. That Pepper was right, that he was afraid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want that for you,” the man said eventually. “I do. I just…” He sighed. “I don’t know if </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>ready yet. I mean- This is the first time I've even been in the lab since…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly it dawned on Peter that for the first time in almost eight months, he and Tony were tinkering in a laboratory setting without being under duress. He glanced at his mentor’s hands, saw how they shook with vigor where they gripped the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tony-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I know that I shouldn’t hold you back just because I’m still not over any of this,” the engineer continued, eyes trained on the deconstructed espresso machine. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>be shoving you out that door, encouraging you to tackle the world. But…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not ready,” Peter finished. Tony nodded tersely, still not making eye contact. “That’s okay,” the teen continued, resting a hand on Tony’s. “You don’t have to be ready. Not yet. And even when I do go back to Queens it won’t be forever. We can ease into it. I can spend just one night and see how it goes.” Tony chuckled at him. “What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just funny how you’re acting like the adult here and I just threw a tantrum at dinner,” the hero laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter giggled. “Yeah. You should probably apologize to May. She wasn’t happy after you left.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get right on that,” Tony replied. “But for now, d’you wanna help me put this thing back together?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A grin erupted onto Peter’s face. “Sure.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>all that’s left is the epilogue! i hope you enjoyed this series &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>here’s a super short ending! i hope you enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>Queens, NY, June 16, 2025</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter let out a whoop as he flung himself into the air, catching himself on another strand of webbing. He swung himself towards the Tower, catching himself on the penthouse balcony and swinging up to land there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daddy! Petey’s here!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Morgan immediately latched herself onto Peter’s leg, standing on one of his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, Mo,” Peter exclaimed, reaching down to pick her up. “Ugh! You’re getting big!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna be as tall as you,” she replied decidedly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As long as you don’t get taller than me, we’re good,” came a voice from inside, and Peter looked up to see Tony opening the sliding door. “You made it just in time for dinner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lasagna?” Peter asked hopefully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lasagna,” Tony confirmed. “How was your date last night? Did Michelle like that French place I recommended?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter chuckled. “I think she did. Actually, I’m not sure. The entire time she was talking about how outrageously expensive it was and insisted we go to Burger King next time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t get better than Burger King,” Tony replied. “Go get changed. Dinner’s in fifteen.” Peter put Morgan back down and headed inside, his mentor shouting after him. “Oh- Hey! You’ve got mail on the kitchen table!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” Peter shouted back. “I’ll get it in a-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He cut himself short when he passed the table, eyes fixed on the envelope on the top of the stack of mail. It was addressed to him, as expected, but the return address was from…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“MIT admissions,” Peter mumbled to himself, picking up the letter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Tony asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It- It’s from MIT’s admissions department,” Peter replied, looking up at his mentor with trepidation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony only smiled. “Open it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter pulled at the seal, ripping it open and pulling the letter out. For a moment he was so nervous that the words looked like one big unintelligible jumble, but then his eyes landed on that word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Congratulations.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” Peter gasped. “Oh my god. Oh my god-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got in,” Tony asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got in!” Peter exclaimed, bouncing on his feet. Then something dawned on him, and he frowned. “Wait… You- You don’t have anything to do with this, do you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony’s face fell. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t- </span>
  <em>
    <span>bribe </span>
  </em>
  <span>them or anything, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man scoffed. “Wha- No! The only things I told them about you were in the recommendation letter that </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>proofread before sending in.” He stepped forward, placing a hand on either of Peter’s shoulders. “This was all you, kid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter’s eyes flooded with tears, but he wiped them away quickly, throwing himself forward to hug Tony. “Thank you,” he said, and he wasn’t sure specifically what he was thanking him for. Maybe it was for not using his power to get Peter into the school, or for being there with him every horrible step of the way to where they were. Or maybe it was for taking an interest in Peter in the first place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” Tony replied, sounding as uncertain as Peter was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tony?” The kid looked up. “I think… I think we made it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man chuckled, a strained, almost tearful sound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I think we did.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>ok! so i have SEVERAL oneshots in the world, so make sure to look out for those. thank you for reading this series!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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